


Glad You're By My Side

by Reddwarfer



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Anal Sex, Car Sex, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Hand Jobs, M/M, Pack Building, Scent Kink, Scott and Derek are half-brothers, Secret Relationship, Step-Brothers, Step-parents, Sterek Haven Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 08:21:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2844374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reddwarfer/pseuds/Reddwarfer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek's family situation has never been an easy one. Then, on a fateful night, it only gets more difficult. Thankfully, he has people to help him navigate it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Glad You're By My Side

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stilespackemissary.tumblr.com](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=stilespackemissary.tumblr.com).



> I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing this, stilespackemissary. 
> 
> Many profound thanks to Djin7 for the beta. You are a goddess.

Talia walked into the bar, purpose in her stride, her head held high, and tried not to feel like she was doing something shameful by just being there. A glance around the room set her at ease. It wasn't a fancy wine bar, but it wasn't one of those seedy joints where she could hear the scurrying of vermin over the clamor, either. Instead, the place had an average, absent feel to it, as if someone noted the need for a bar, checked off all the boxes then forgot about it, after.

She sat down on one of the sturdier looking stools within eyesight of the bartender but far from the busier end of the bar top. Talia didn't often drink alcohol in public where bartenders kept an eye on the limits being consumed.

The bartender, Mike, efficiently made her choice of drink and left her to it with little in the way of small talk. It did little to soothe out the stress of the last few months. She wondered if she'd ever get a handle on her life. First, her mother died, leaving her Alpha of the Hale Pack. Not unexpected, she’d always known she'd inherit it from her mother just like she knew her little Laura would inherit it from her. Peter was another matter entirely. Her brother hadn't been openly hostile about it, but she could sense that he'd not been pleased.

Her husband, however, hadn't taken the news well at all. It had only taken a month for him to leave. A trial separation, he said. So far, it'd been three months with only the minimum contact required for visitation with their child. If he wanted to work things out with her, he'd given Talia little indication. They'd married, but never mated, and it was becoming obvious as to why.

"Is anyone sitting here?" a voice interrupted her depressed ruminations on her potentially failed marriage. When Talia looked up, she saw an attractive, narrow faced man with brown hair and eyes, and a lovely smile.

"Not at the moment," she replied, turning slightly on her stool. "Please sit."

"Rafael," he said, holding out a hand. She took it with a slight smile. "Talia."

~*~

Derek's mom was on the phone with his step-mom again. He didn't need to listen in to know they were talking about his dad, who'd stuck around long enough to fight his mom for visitation and get his step-mom pregnant before he fucked off to his job for the FBI.

For all that McCalls were a taboo topic around the house, his mom and stepmother had forged a friendship. It didn't extend to mixed holiday get-togethers, but it meant that they'd signed a few papers with the lawyers since it seemed no one could or would depend on their dad.

Four minutes later, his mom tapped once on his door before coming fully into his room. "Sweetheart, sorry, but your dad can't get time off work for your birthday this weekend."

Derek rolled his eyes. He hadn't really expected him to show up, so it didn't bother him. Well, if he ignored the hitching in his chest and the way his face itched. "I don't care."

"Honey," she started, reaching out for him, but he shrugged off her hand. He didn't care. He _didn't_. "Do you want to go see Scott and Melissa tonight?"

Normally, his mom rarely bent the rules for Derek's other family, as everyone liked to pretend they didn't exist. He used to think it had to do with him being a werewolf and not being able to tell anyone, but as he got older, he sensed it had been about something else entirely.

"Yeah, sure." His brother Scott annoyed him, and his best friend, Stiles, annoyed him even more than Scott, but he still wanted to be over there, with them now. "You sure it'll be okay?"

"Melissa's already expecting you. Stiles and Scott apparently have been begging for you to go over non-stop for the last three days."

A grin inched up his lips without permission. He quickly darted forward and gave his mom a hug. "Thanks, Mom."

Their car barely had pulled to a stop before Derek bolted out of it, shouting a goodbye to his mom over his shoulder as he raced to his step-mom's front door.

"Happy Birthday, Derek!" Scott and Stiles yelled as soon as he stepped through the front door. They were balancing a cake pan between them, and when he moved closer and saw "Happy 12th Birthday, Derek!" written in two distinct, childish styles in the messy icing, he grinned. "Thanks!"

"Happy Birthday, Derek," his step-mom repeated, standing in the doorway to the dining room. She had a hand towel over her shoulder, a smudge of flour on her cheek, and a fond smile.

"Thanks, Ma." She smiled at that, just like she always did. It started when he'd just learned to talk and couldn't pronounce Melissa's name, and persisted despite it ruffling some feathers until everyone got used to it. Now, it'd become habit and Derek would feel awkward to suddenly start calling her by name, after all these years. Plus, since dad left, it became less a nickname and more of who she was to him. His other mom.

"Anything for you, kiddo." She gave him a quick hug before steering him after Scott and Stiles, who slowly made their way to the dining room table with the cake in their precarious grasp.

He ate his cake and watched as Scott and Stiles got in a tussle over who would give Derek their present first, he felt glad, fiercely, that he had this family, too.

~*~

"Derek!" Scott yelled the minute Derek answered his cell phone.

Rolling his eyes, he moved to the other room, dodging his sister, Cora, who darted in front of him on the way to the kitchen for a snack. Cora attended the same school as the two boys and even shared a few classes, but stridently pretended they didn't exist. She viewed both of them as interlopers on Derek's life and resented any time Derek spent with them. He caught her expression as she heard Scott's voice on the phone and scowled.

"Yeah?" he asked, walking quickly to his bedroom. "What's the matter?"

"I need you to come and get me and Stiles," Scott said at once. His voice the slightest bit wheezy as he sometimes got, even when taking his asthma medicine.

Derek looked outside. Night was coming, and it was a full moon. Derek knew he shouldn't leave. His mom had rules about this sort of thing. But he couldn't just ignore his half brother, either, who wouldn't call unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Where are you?" Derek asked shortly, shoving his feet into a pair of trainers. Details could wait until they were safety home.

Scott hesitated, which meant Derek probably wouldn't like the answer. It must have occurred to Scott that Derek couldn't get him if he didn't know where he was, so he finally said, "The Preserve."

"Damn it, Scott," Derek cursed, now it was less a good idea and more an imperative that he go out and fetch the two idiots before the moon rose. "You know you're not supposed to be out there."

"I know," Scott agreed quickly, which meant that Stiles dragged Scott into trouble this time. They seemed to take turns. "But, it was important."

"I'm sure," Derek replied, unconvinced. He glanced over at Cora as he awkwardly shrugged on his jacket while juggling his cell. She looked up at him when he blocked her view of the television. "Those two idiots are out at the Preserve. I need to go fetch them before they get themselves in bigger trouble than they're already in."

Cora frowned. "You're not supposed to leave the house. We've got to go downstairs in less than an hour! You know that!"

"I can't just leave them. I'll be back in time. I just need to pick them up and drop them back off at Ma-lissa's," Derek stumbled over his step-mom's name. Cora's face twitched, but she didn't start yelling, so he counted it as a win.

"Hurry up," Cora replied. "I'll tell Mom when she gets home. She should be here in ten minutes."

Derek gave her a twitch of a smile. "Thanks."

"Where are you, exactly?" Derek asked Scott, as he strode out of the house to jump in to his car.

"I'm not sure, exactly. There's a big tree?" Derek practically could see Scott shrug with that grin on his face. The grin that got him out of trouble with everyone, even Ma.

Rolling his eyes, Derek snorted. "That's not helpful." He pulled over when he arrived at the Preserve, and got out of the car. "I’m here. Have Stiles blow on that whistle he keeps on his keychain. I'll see if I can hear it and what direction it's coming from."

"Okay," Scott said, thankfully not asking too many questions, “one sec.” Scott muffled the phone from his end and Derek could hear the faint whistle sound coming from deep in the woods, to the west. Scott came back on the phone, "Did you hear that?"

Derek twitched. With any hope, Scott and Stiles wouldn't notice that Derek shouldn't have been able to hear it when they finally got back to the car. "Yeah, I think I heard it. I'll head in that direction. Tell Stiles to blow the whistle again in another two minutes."

He broke into a light jog, mindful not to move too quickly. He didn't just have to worry about Scott and Stiles getting suspicious, but chances were high that there might be hunters about as well, on a full moon.

It took him less than ten minutes to find them, sitting on a rock and looking shame-faced and scared. "Derek!" Scott and Stiles yelled at the same time, jumping to their feet.

"C'mon, you two dumbasses. I need to get you home. My mom's gonna kill me if I'm not back home in twenty minutes."

"We can't leave yet!" Scott exclaimed, tugging on his jacket. Stiles stood next to him, nodding in agreement. These two would be the death of him. "I lost my inhaler."

"Don't you have a spare at home?" Derek asked, keeping an eye on the ever-darkening sky.

Scott shook his head vigorously. "Mom can't afford a new one either, 'cause Dad's late on child support again."

"Dad's an asshole," Derek said, and Scott nodded, but with a frown on his face. Derek had two moms, so who needed a loser dad like his, or a jerk like his step-dad, who came back for a few years and left again? He didn't say this, because Scott didn't share Derek's mom like Derek had Melissa.

"Hey," Stiles said, putting an arm around each of them. "You can share my Dad. Well, I'm not actually that good with sharing. But, I can let you borrow him for ten minutes, every other Thursday." Derek though it was a pretty cool thing to say, seeing as Stiles’ mom had died some years previously, and neither he nor his father had recovered from it, yet.

"Thanks, Stiles," Derek said, and he reached over to rub affectionately over Stiles' buzz cut. He looked over at Scott. "We'll look for a few minutes, but there's no point doing it after the sun sets. It's too dark. If we can't find it, we'll have to come back tomorrow."

"Fine," Scott conceded, deflating a bit.

They spent the next ten minutes looking, to no success. Derek tried surreptitiously sniffing around, to see if he could scent the medicine, but couldn't. Every time he tried, something itched at his nose, causing him to sneeze.

His phone rang, and Derek answered, glancing at the sky. It was getting dark. "Derek? Where are you?" his mom asked as soon as he picked up.

"In the Preserve with Scott and Stiles. They got themselves lost and Scott dropped his inhaler somewhere."

"Honey, you shouldn't be out right now, but I understand why you had to get them." She paused for a moment. "We're going to head downstairs. Do you think Melissa will mind if you stay the night? I don't want to risk you opening the door. Cora's been having trouble lately."

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Mom." Derek looked over at Scott and mouthed, "Can I stay over tonight?" Scott nodded enthusiastically in return. "Scott says it's fine."

"Of course, he would," his mom said with a sigh. "All right, we'll just have to make the best of it. But I want you to take those boys home now. You can find the missing inhaler tomorrow. I don't want you out there alone."

"Yes, Mom," Derek replied. He could feel the pull of the moon under his skin. He could keep his control. He had no choice.

"Love you."

"You too, Mom." Derek hung up, turning to face Scott and Stiles who were still absently poking around, for the inhaler. "Okay, kids. We need to pack it in. We can search tomorrow."

"But what if I need it? Five more minutes? Please?" Scott begged, and Derek folded, like he always did, to his little brother’s pleading expression.

"Fine, but if my mom finds out, I'm blaming you," Derek threatened and got back to searching, following the faint remnants of Scott and Stiles' scent in the direction they came from before calling him.

Fifteen minutes later, the inhaler was still missing and Derek was insisting they head back to twin groans of disappointment. The moon had fully risen, and was pulling at him like a persistent itch. Stiles kept up a steady stream of chatter that helped distract him, but he couldn't ignore the part of him that needed to be in safe place that smelled of home and family. He'd never spent the full moon away from home before and he'd never spent one alone, without the rest of his pack. "Let's go. I'm going to be in deep shit with both our moms if I don't get you two home."

"I'm telling you, Scott," Stiles was still yammering on while they were walking, "Star Wars is a classic. Everyone needs to watch it at least once. Right, Derek?"

Derek opened his mouth to reply when suddenly and viciously power and pain coursed through him, one trying to drown out the other in turns. An anguished growl torn out of his throat as he stumbled; the world settled around him in a red haze.

"Scott!" Stiles' worried voice cut through the haze, and Derek turned to see Scott on the ground, wheezing. Stiles looked at him, fear etched on his features, yet determined. "He can't breathe. He needs his inhaler!"

"I-I," Derek willed himself to shift back, but he couldn't. An Alpha, he’d felt it. If Derek was an alpha, that meant, that meant...his mother was gone, his family was gone. He couldn't have become Alpha otherwise. "I'll run him to the car, get him to the hospital."

"Not enough time," Stiles said, and Scott's wheezing worsened. "You're a werewolf! How are you a werewolf? Can't you do anything?"

Derek moved on instinct, knowing there wasn't another way to help Scott. He pushed Stiles aside, who gave a startled, "Hey!", and pushed up Scott's shirt. He looked his brother in the eye, said, "Don't be afraid. I wouldn't hurt you. We're brothers. I'm going to save you. Is that okay?"

Frightened and wide-eyed, Scott nodded weakly. Derek leaned down, bit hard, and prayed that it'd work.

"Hey! I said help him, not eat him!" Derek felt the small, blunt fists of angry twelve year old boy thud against his back. He turned around, gripping Stiles' hands gently in his own, careful not to nick him with his claws.

"I am helping him. The bite," Derek said, closing his eyes briefly, "is a gift. It was the only way to save him. I hope. If it doesn't take, if he doesn’t heal, he'll, uh, die. But it's a chance. His only chance."

Stiles stared at him, realization dawning on his face. The incredulous expression turned stubborn in a heartbeat. "Bite me, too," Stiles demanded. "Scott's my best friend. We do everything together. I don't want him to be alone."

He should say no. Stiles certainly wasn't old enough to make the choice. Derek had no idea how to be an alpha, let alone how to be in charge of anyone else. But, fear bore down on him like a speeding truck. His pack was gone. He could feel it in every part of him. Everyone. All gone. His eyes burned, felt as red as they now looked, and tears leaked out of the corner of his eyes without permission.

"Hey," Stiles said, voice soft. "Scott's gonna be fine. I'm going to be fine. Why are you crying?"

Derek didn't answer, just shook his head. "Do-do you really want the bite?" he asked, the urge to expand his pack stronger than any sense he had in his head, which at sixteen, wasn’t a lot to begin with.

Stiles looked over at Scott, whose breathing had calmed down, his color returning to his skin, and who was watching them both, eyes wide, fearful, and silent. Stiles turned back to Derek with a definitive nod. "Yeah. I have to. Me and Scott do everything together, right buddy?" Scott didn't say anything, but gave a short nod and a weak smile.

Praying that he hadn't just made the stupidest decision on his life, Derek pushed Stiles' shirt up and bit down. "Ow, couldn't you be a bit gentler?"

He pulled back, wiped at his mouth, and got to his feet. He needed to get to his home, find out what happened, but almost every single part of him screamed at him to avoid it. He needed to get Stiles and Scott home, somewhere safe. He needed to...he needed to...

"Hey," Stiles said, gripping his arm. "What's the matter? Why do you keep crying?"

Derek tried to say something, but it got caught in his throat. He cleared it, tried again. "I'm the Alpha." Stiles looked at him, blankly. "Yeah, it was pretty cool how you saved Scott's life back there. Even if it was you doing the grrr thing that caused him to have an asthma attack in the first place. Sorry. Um. Forget I said that."

"I mean," Derek tried again, pain gripping his chest so hard he could hardly get the words out. "I'm not. I wasn't. My mom. She’s the-she _was_ the Alpha."

Understanding quickly dawned on Stiles' face, which crumpled in on itself as if remembering his own mom. "I'm sorry, Derek," he said, and hugged Derek around the middle. He felt another pair of arms around him, and looked down to see Scott's face, shocked, yet determined. "Yeah," Scott whispered, burying his face into Derek's shoulder.

"C'mon," he said, gruffly, "we need to get home, where it's safe."

Derek slowly led Scott and Stiles out of the woods to the car. Static filled his head and only the occasional poke on the arm from Stiles kept him from walking into a tree.

"Derek?" Stiles' voice sounded hesitant. "You can’t leave the woods like that."

Startled, Derek looked down and noticed he still hadn't shifted back. "I-I." Closing his eyes, Derek willed himself to change. Stiles shifted closer, pressing against his side, and Scott followed suit. Feeling the slightest connection of Pack, Derek finally shifted back fully. "Thanks."

"We're brothers," Scott said, voice a bit stronger than it had been earlier. Derek knew Scott probably had a million questions piling up behind his lips, but had rightly decided to save them for a better time.

The sound of Scott's phone cut through the relative silence. Scott looked between both Derek and Stiles with an anxious expression before answering. "Hello?"

"Where are you? Is Stiles with you?" Melissa sounded frantic, and her voice broke when she added, "Is Derek?"

"Yeah," Scott answered immediately. "They're both here. Stiles and I got lost and Derek came to get us."

"Oh, thank god," Melissa replied, "I thought, for a moment, when I couldn't reach anyone at home, well." Derek could hear her heave a watery sigh.

"Did something happen?" Scott asked, worried. Stiles glanced over at Derek, holding his eyes for a moment, before turning back to Scott.

"Yes," Melissa's voice broke as she replied. "Have Derek bring you here, to work. I-I need to talk to you both."

Scott, uncharacteristically, didn't follow up with more questions. Instead, he swallowed thickly, and said, "Okay, mom."

"Are you going to be okay to drive?" Stiles asked, and Derek took a moment to realize Stiles was talking to him. His brain didn't want to work; everything in him just wanted to shut down.

Derek shook his head. "Yeah."

"Because you keep zoning out," Stiles said, and Scott nodded in agreement, adding, "It's kinda scary."

Instead of replying, Derek ushered Stiles and Scott into the car and drove to the hospital on autopilot.

Melissa met them as soon as they entered, gathering them all in a tight hug. Even though Derek felt it the moment it happened, his step-mom’s hug made it all a reality, and tears started before Melissa even had a chance to tell him what happened, and barely could hear her soft, watery voice tell him about the fire.

"It'll be okay, Derek," Melissa said, rubbing her hand along his back. "We'll be here for you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll take care of you. I love you. I'll be here for you."

"Me too," Scott said, with another tight hug, a bit stronger now, and Stiles echoed his words and actions, "Yeah, me three."

Derek didn't know how to cope with the loss of his family, becoming an alpha with two twelve year old betas, but at least he wouldn't be totally alone. He squeezed them all a little tighter and held on.

~*~

"Fighting with Scott again?" Stiles asked as soon as Derek came through this bedroom window. Stiles hadn't bothered turning from the open document on his computer. Homework, probably. Scott had complained about a long paper due in two days at dinner last night.

"Yeah," Derek said, and flopped down on Stiles' unmade bed. "He's always mad at me about something."

"You know I'm not taking sides, right?" Stiles asked, nudging Derek with a socked foot. "He's my best friend. You're my alpha. It's just asking for trouble."

Derek huffed. "I'm not asking you to take sides."

"Why do you always come here when you fight with Scott?" Stiles asked, not for the first time. "It's not like he doesn't know you come here."

Shrugging, Derek didn't answer. He never did. Stiles’ room felt safe like home felt safe, like pack felt safe. Four years later, Derek still didn't like talking about it.

"So, whatcha fight about this time?" Stiles asked, twisting his chair left and right as he spoke. "Did you drink the last of the milk? Did he?"

"He doesn't like how much time I spend here," Derek admitted, knowing if he lied, Stiles would know.

Stiles stopped playing around on his desk chair and looked over at him. "You fought about how often we spend together?" Stiles repeated slowly. Derek rolled his eyes and nodded. "And your first instinct was to immediately come here?"

Put like that, it did sound pretty stupid. Derek shrugged again, and looked away.

"Hey," Stiles said, crawling onto the bed next to him. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not kicking you out." Stiles stretched awkwardly to reach the edge of the blanket, previously kicked to the floor, then dragged it up and over both of them. "You can stay as long as you want. Just don't start doing that 'no talking' thing again."

"Thanks," Derek muttered, and shifted closer to Stiles, who had a slightly worried expression on his face. Whenever Derek didn't reply with words, Stiles would fret. "Stop worrying so much if I don't respond to everything you say."

"You barely spoke for a whole year, Derek," Stiles replied, voice high-pitched. "Of course, I'm going to worry. It freaked everyone out."

"Stiles," Derek said, exasperated. "I'm fine. I just don't like fighting with Scott."

Scenting Stiles made Derek feel a bit better, so he moved close enough to rub his nose along Stiles' neck. After a few seconds, Stiles started massaging his scalp with his long fingers.

"Why do you two fight so often? You never used to. I mean, Scott's a teddy bear. Everybody that knows him, likes him. Even Jackson sorta likes him, when he's not being bitterly jealous he's not Lacrosse Captain."

"I think," Derek replied quietly, "it's because he's meant to be an alpha and I'm meant to be a beta. Fighting against instinct. Every werewolf can become an alpha, beta, or omega, but some are more suited to one role than another."

"Makes sense." Stiles shifted closer, and Derek could feel the hardness against his thigh. Stiles used to hide it, at first, but now he didn't bother. Derek never acknowledged it, not beyond one awkward conversation neither Stiles nor Derek ever mentioned again. "'m glad you're here."

Derek muffled a "me too" against the skin of Stiles' neck.

"Derek?" Stiles spoke again, after a few moments of quiet.

He pulled back just enough to see Stiles' face."Yeah?"

Instead of saying something else, Stiles inched forward, giving him a short, hesitant kiss on his lips.

Without giving himself time to think or talk himself out of it, Derek moved closer, catching Stiles' lips before he had a chance to pull back. He cupped Stiles' cheek with his hand, and kissed him again, sucked on his lips, nibbled them, licked gently at his open mouth, then buried his face once more in the crook of Stiles' neck, nuzzling where the scent was thickest, panting heavily.

"Wow," Stiles said, once he'd caught his breath. "Wow. I thought you'd give me a pity kiss and we'd never talk about it again. Wow."

"You've said that three times," Derek huffed out, despite feeling slightly pleased at Stiles' reaction to his attentions.

Stiles poked his forehead. "It was worth at least five wows. Shut up." After a few more seconds of shifting around, Stiles continued, "So, not that I'm not super pleased, because I am, but where did _that_ come from?"

'You started it' was on the tip of his tongue, but it wasn't the most mature thing he could say. Maybe there was another reason he always showed up at Stiles' place when he needed to get away.

He knew it hadn't started like this. Stiles had been an annoying twelve year old little shit when he’d changed him. Derek had done his best to guide Scott and Stiles through the uneasy transition from human to werewolf even as he slowly shut down during the subsequent investigation into the fire that claimed the lives of his family. By the time the trial ended, Derek refused to speak at all and didn't start again until over nine months later. Scott and Stiles were the only reason he got through it at all, his pack.

Stiles remained his brother's other half until he’d come back from a semester abroad that Ma had talked him into with the power of her potential disappointment alone. When Derek had arrived at the airport Stiles had been the one to come along to pick him up, and suddenly the brotherly feelings were gone. "One day, I just did. Wanted you."

"Not complaining," Stiles said, hurriedly. "So not complaining. So, uh, can we get back to kissing? Before you have to go home and make up with Scott?"

And just like that, reality came crashing down. "Scott," Derek said, suddenly recalling in vivid detail why he'd not acted on the way he felt before. "Your dad. My step-mom."

"Nooo. No. Stop thinking about all that," Stiles cajoled, pushing out his lower lip in an enticing pout. "Think about kissing me, instead."

Derek did, once, twice, but then he pulled back. "They'll all join forces to kill me. We shouldn't. Not until you're older."

Stiles' eyes widened, one arm flailed up, almost hitting Derek. "No! That sounds like a terrible idea. What if you start dating someone else? What if _I_ do?"

"Would that be so terrible?" Derek asked, even though his gut clenched at the thought. Stiles frowned at him, clearly not getting the reaction he wanted. Derek wanted to say something to make that expression go away. To tell him that the thought of Stiles dating someone else felt like being stabbed, but his words just collided behind his teeth, refusing to come out.

Sitting up abruptly, Stiles looked down at him, giving an emphatic nod. "Yes! Just think about it. Two people love each other, but aren’t together. Then, one of them starts dating; nothing serious, but the other person sees and is sad and lonely, so then _they_ find someone. Soon, both people are dating other people regularly, but never single at the same time, always pining for the other. Cut to twenty years later, and they're finally both single, and whatever it was that kept them apart isn’t in the way anymore, but now they're all angry and bitter because they wasted the best years of their lives in failed relationships, waiting for the other and never being able to move on."

Derek blinked up at Stiles, shaking his head at the long-winded logic, wondering if that was really true, or if he just didn't want to wait due to impatience. Stiles' expression looked genuinely distressed, much to Derek's surprise. Then again, Stiles wore a similar expression when the local diner changed their cooking oil, which Stiles swore up and down made the fries less tasty _and_ less curly. "Okay," Derek said, surprising both of them. Stiles looked geared for a long argument, six or seven good points on his tongue, only to deflate at an unexpected, if welcomed, concession.

"That was easier than I expected," Stiles admitted, then narrowed his eyes at Derek. "Suspiciously easy. What's the catch? There's got to be a catch."

"I don't think it'd be a good idea if anyone found out before you graduate," Derek replied as delicately as he could. He hoped Stiles understood the necessity, even if it'd mean lying to the people they cared most about.

Stiles slumped down, frowning. "Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that." He then flumped back down on the bed, rolling over until he pressed back up against Derek's side. "It'd be easier to cope with it if I could have another kiss." Stiles fluttered his eyelashes playfully, lips curled in a hopeful upturn.

"Fine," Derek grumped, but eagerly leaned forward and captured Stiles' lips in an easy kiss. Stiles, not to be mistaken for anyone patient, wrapped an arm around him, fingers digging lightly into the meat of his shoulder, and turned the kiss surprisingly dirty almost instinctively, despite his inexperience. Teeth, tongue, nothing seemed off limits, and Derek moaned into it, rocking their hips together lightly as they got lost in each other for some time. Derek didn't know how far he'd have let it go, if they hadn't sprang apart when the front door opened, heralding the sound of Stiles' dad returning home.

"Oh shit," Stiles said as he pulled back. He flopped onto his back, shifting so an inch of space existed between their shoulders. "I didn't even hear him coming. I always hear him driving up."

Derek rubbed his hands over his face. Keeping this secret would be a Herculean task. "We'll need to be more careful next time."

"Next time?" Stiles asked, a hopeful lilt to his voice.

Turning his head, Derek looked at Stiles in bafflement. "Isn't that what you want?"

"I just figured, with the close call and all, you'd change your mind." Stiles shrugged nonchalantly, trying a little too hard to be cool.

Not being fooled for a minute, Derek only paused long enough to check that Stiles' dad was not going to barge in suddenly, then leaned over and kissed Stiles once, deep and thorough. "Nothing could change my mind."

Stiles brightened at that, leaning in for another kiss when his dad yelled up the stairs. "Dinner's gonna be ready in ten! Is Derek staying?"

"Oh, god," Stiles said, getting to his feet and, presumably, out of the range of temptation. He smoothed out his shirt, wiped his mouth, and shifted his jeans. "Do I look like I've been making out with my sexy, older Alpha boyfriend all afternoon?"

Derek got to his feet as well, and rolled his eyes. "You look fine," Derek said, though Stiles lips still looked deliciously plump. "He won't notice if you start eating with the grace you usually use."

"Ha ha," Stiles replied, heading downstairs. "Very funny, big guy."

 

Taking a deep breath, he prayed the Sheriff didn't notice anything different with either of them. A test, really, because the Sheriff tended to notice things. They'd never make it through the next year if they couldn't survive a dinner with Stiles' dad after their first kiss.

"Hey, Derek," John greeted, putting a bowl of salad down with a slight grimace. "Get in another fight with Scott?"

Sighing, Derek wanted to hide his face. Was he really that predictable? "Yeah, but I'll smooth things over with him, later."

"Good kid," John said, and ruffled his hair when he passed by. "Now, who wants a burger?"

~*~

"Oh, god," Stiles panted against his neck, sitting astride his lap. Derek licked at the place on Stiles' collarbone he'd worrying with his teeth. " _Derek_." Stiles had his fingers threaded in his hair, and tugged roughly as fucked into the tight grip of Derek's hand gripped around both of their cocks.

Derek grinned, watching the way Stiles' eyelids fluttered shut as he gave a breathy moan. The heavy scent of Stiles' need left him painfully aroused. Every slide of Stiles' cock against his sent jolts of pleasure under his skin. The lies, the hiding, the stress, everything became worth it when he got to have these moments getting Stiles to fall apart in his arms, smelling the scent of Stiles' desperation and hear every breathy moan.

"I need," Stiles bit out, "I want...I need you to," Stiles stopped to bite down on the curve of Derek's neck, coming noisily against his skin when Derek ran his thumb against the length of Stiles' cock.

Boneless, Stiles slumped against Derek, breathing heavily against his neck as he trailed his fingers through his own come and joined his fingers with Derek's, stroking him with quick, delicious movements until he also came in a powerful rush.

"Nnngh." Derek couldn't manage words quite yet. Watching Stiles get off always destroyed his ability to think clearly. They sat there for another few minutes, just enjoying being close, before reality asserted itself.

"Shit," Derek said, his cell phone chirping out an alarm. "I have to get going. Scott and I have a thing, tonight."

"Oh, god, okay," Stiles said, hastily shifting over to the other side of the backseat of the car. He looked between their laps with a chagrined expression, then reached forward to open the glove compartment awkwardly around the front seat. He handed Derek a handful of tissues, which they kept in the car for this very purpose, and then set about cleaning himself up .

"Sorry," Derek said, the stress of only being able to be like this in furtive, quiet locations with stolen snatches of time wore on both of them. They'd almost gotten caught a few times at home, because it had been too easy to let their guard down in the comfortable, relaxed setting.

Stiles waved him off. "Don't worry about it. Nine more months and it's over. God, I sound like a pregnant person. Plus, it's for Scott."

"Yeah," Derek said, relieved. He leaned over to give Stiles a quick kiss, careful to not let himself get carried away, before they both moved back to the front seat.

He dropped Stiles off at his Jeep, parked at the mall, giving him a quick squeeze of his hand in goodbye instead of the kiss he wanted to give him. Then he headed back home, hoping he'd have some time to really get cleaned up before he dragged Scott out. Before getting out of the car, Derek quickly sprayed the car with scent nullifier, muting out the smell of Stiles and sex.

"Hey," Scott greeted when Derek walked inside the kitchen to get a drink. "Deaton let me go early today."

"Nice of him," Derek replied, taking a moment to study Scott. His posture lacked stiffness and an easy smile graced his face, but a bit of tension hovered around his eyes, and his fingers tapped restlessly against the counter. He debated the relative merits of taking a shower at the risk of Scott taking off, and decided against it.

"Come on," Derek said, beckoning Scott to the door. "Let's get out of here."

Scott looked like he wanted to argue on principle, but let it go after a few seconds. "Sure."

"Have you eaten yet?" Derek asked, guiding them both out the door toward the car.

"Nope. I couldn't figure out what to make," Scott replied, quirking a grin. "Didn't feel like cooking, but didn't want frozen pizza rolls."

Derek made a quick trip through the nearest drive-through and then drove them both to a quiet place in the Preserve they could eat on the blanket he kept in the trunk and talk.

They both made quick work of their first round of burgers and fries, taking the occasional sip of soda to wash it all down.

"Okay," Derek said, not yet starting on his second burger. "I wanted to talk."

Scott looked at him in surprise. "You never want to talk. Unless you're bickering with Stiles."

Ignoring that, Derek continued, "Something's been bothering you. I know I've not been the best brother, but you can talk to me."

At this, Scott looked conflicted. "You've been a great brother," Scott said, even if the truth in that was flaky at best. He didn't deny that something had been bothering him, however, which was a start. Finally, after another few minutes in which Scott picked absently at his French fries, something resolved in his expression and he continued on. "Dad started calling me about a month ago."

Surprised, Derek looked over at Scott, and tried to hide how much it hurt him since his dad never bothered more than a few times after the fire to talk to him at all. "About what?"

"Trying to reconnect I guess," Scott replied, saying 'reconnect' like it was a dirty word. "It's a bit late for that, don't you think?"

Derek tried to be diplomatic when he said, "It depends on if you want it to be."

"How can you say that?" Scott said, angry all over again. "He abandoned us. More than once. Even after your family died, he still didn't step up. He was happy enough to have Mom adopt you. And I'm glad she did, don't get me wrong, but what about you? Us? When we needed him, he was nowhere. Now, just because he's doing "the steps", he thinks he gets a free pass to waltz back into my life? And," Scott said, gaining steam with every word, "he still hasn't contacted you, has he?" Derek shook his head and Scott's eyes widened as he pointed a finger in victory. "See? Why would I want him back in my life?"

"You don't have to," Derek said, the ache in his chest worsening. "Not if you don't want to."

"Good," Scott said, huffing a bit, then he shifted the food to the side, and lay flat on his back. "Sorry," he said, then, "I didn't want to tell you, because, you know."

"It's fine," Derek replied, even though it wasn't. He lay down next to Scott, and stared up at the sky. "It's not your fault. I understand why you kept it secret."

Derek could feel the weight of Scott's eyes on him, then Scott said. "You do, huh?"

"Sometimes, people keep things secret because they're afraid how people will react." Derek didn't look at Scott, and part of him wanted to tell him about Stiles, but he couldn't make that decision alone. Hopefully, later, Scott would remember this and understand what he'd been trying to say.

Scott made a noise of semi-agreement. "Sometimes, the reaction isn't nearly as bad as you're afraid it will be. Because sometimes, you know, you wind up with a great brother who's always on your side."

Swallowing thickly, Derek wondered if there was a hidden meaning in those words. "A good thing to keep in mind," Derek said, wishing he could say more. Then, he sighed. "We should make time to do this again, soon."

"Yeah," Scott agreed. "I'd like that."

After he drove them both back home, he changed into something comfortable, and told Scott and Melissa he wanted to go for a run. He jogged immediately over to Stiles' place, eyed the Sheriff's car in the driveway, and made his way around back, up and through Stiles' window. He shucked off his shoes and crawled under Stiles' covers.

Stiles must have been in the shower, because he came in a few minutes later and dripped water all over the top of the blanket. "Hey, whatcha doing here, big guy? Things with Scott didn't go well?"

"It went fine," Derek said, scooting over to give Stiles room, who immediately dropped his towel and joined him.

"If it went fine, why are you here and burrowed in my blankets? You haven't done this in a while," Stiles asked, sounding worried.

Derek didn't want to talk about it, not really. He didn't want to talk about his dad because it made him miss his mom, his sisters, his uncle, everyone. But, this was Stiles, and if he talked about it with Stiles, maybe it'd hurt a little less. He opened his eyes and looked into Stiles' warm brown ones, reached over to hold Stiles' hand, and told him everything.

~*~

"C'mon, Derek," Stiles huffed out, impatient as ever. Derek kissed a soft path along Stiles' neck, cheek, and, finally, lips. "Mhph."

After a few unhurried minutes of kissing, Derek finally relented and gave Stiles another slow, deep thrust.

"You're a sadist," Stiles declared, his heels digging into the meat of Derek's thighs. "C'mon. Even Sloths fuck faster than this."

"You're just too impatient," Derek said, he slid his cock back just enough to tease, and watched with great pleasure the utterly mutinous expression on Stiles' face. "Good things come to those who wait."

"I was wrong," Stiles said with an unholy glint in his eyes. "You're not a sadist. You're just an asshole." And with that, Stiles tightened the grip he had on Derek's waist with his thighs and used it as leverage to flip them over.

"Ha!" Stiles exclaimed happily, rearranging himself so he could slide easily down the length of Derek's cock. "Victory!"

Privately, Derek agreed, but Stiles soon drove all thoughts out of his head except those of him. Stiles looked down at him, smug grin replaced with pure need and pleasure. 

The pace Stiles set boarded on brutal, hips undulating restlessly as he shoved down on his cock over and over. Derek has gripped tightly to the tops of Stiles' thighs, sprawled helplessly beneath him. "God, Derek, c'mere," Stiles panted out, his eyes bright with need and happiness.

"Yeah," Derek managed, sitting up so Stiles could wrap his arms around Derek's neck. As soon as Derek got in range, Stiles pressed wet, open-mouthed, breathless kisses against his lips. Closing his eyes, Derek kissed back desperately, hungrily, and drowned in the overwhelming scent of Stiles. Every single inch of him felt like a livewire, Stiles tantalizing his senses in every way possible. The prick of claws against the skin of his back had his entire world whiting out in a haze. "God, Stiles."

"That's it, Derek, that's it." Stiles looked, sounded utterly triumphant having reduced Derek to a boneless pile on the bed. Stiles smirked down at him, curled a hand around his cock and finished himself off, completely smug. "I won."

Derek curled his hands around Stiles, gently massaging wherever he could reach. "You won," he agreed amiably. His easy acceptance, of course, made Stiles immediately suspicious.

Narrowing his eyes, Stiles glared down at Derek. "You wanted me to ride you!" he accused, poking Derek's chest.

He gave a shrug, face contorting in a way that made Stiles snort in amusement. "Asshole," Stiles declared, but didn't put any heat into it. He slid off Derek's lap, and collapsed against his chest. Derek's cock lay soft and sticky against his thigh. They both needed a shower and had to be somewhere in little more than an hour.

"Today's the day," Stiles commented, idly rubbing his finger over Derek's nipple. "Nervous?"

"Are you asking or telling?" Derek asked. His fingers drifted down between Stiles' legs, idly fingering the wet mess in Stiles' hole. A heady, pleasurable burst of scent filled the air. Derek loved it.

"Both," Stiles returned, spreading his legs a little wider. "I just don't know how they're going to react. Eighteen months is a long time to imagine all the horrible, terrible ways something can go wrong. I can do a decent job with that in only ten minutes." Derek made a noise of understanding, enjoying the way Stiles' rim fluttered around his fingers as he fucked two of them inside.

"Derek," Stiles whined, rubbing his half hard cock against Derek's thigh. "We don't have time."

"We could be late," Derek reasoned. Fucking Stiles in his already wet, come-sloppy hole seemed a perfectly good reason to be late."

"If we're late, chances are someone will come looking for us," Stiles reasoned, though he sounded as if he couldn't decide whether he cared about it. "Scott would come looking for us."

"Natural consequences," Derek replied, twisting his fingers to draw out a delicious moan out of Stiles.

Stiles bit his lip, hips shifting mindlessly. "Well, he's old enough to get the birds and the bees talk, don't you think?"

"Definitely," Derek agreed absently, rolling over so he could fit himself along Stiles' back.

Looking over his shoulder, Stiles gave him a quick peck, and said, cheekily, "Now, you will demonstrate you understand the meaning of the word 'quickie', okay? Or I won't fuck you for a week."

"Anything you want," Derek replied, not caring of the consequences of giving Stiles that sort of leeway, too busy sinking back into the heady clutch of Stiles' body. "Anything."

"Gonna hold you to that," Stiles said, needing the last word. Derek couldn't bring himself to mind.

~*~

Freshly showered and only ten, maybe fifteen, minutes late, Derek and Stiles pulled into the driveway of his home and parked.

"Ma wanted me to warn you that she'd be allowing your dad to eat whatever he wanted today," Derek said before they went inside.

"Melissa's betrayed me," Stiles said, dramatically resting an arm over his eyes. After a moment, his ears twitched."Scott's picked up some colorful vocabulary over the years."

Derek nodded. "He learned it from watching you," he replied.

"Oh, my god," Stiles groaned, hitting his arm. "You're awful. I hate you."

"Forever," Derek agreed. He offered Stiles his hand, which Stiles promptly accepted.

When they walked into the dining room, a tacky, brightly colored 'Congratulations Graduates!' sign had been hung on the wall accompanied by a few balloons.

Melissa and John looked between them with unreadable expressions while Scott just beamed at both of them.

Stiles muttered in undertone, "I may have spilled the beans to Scott a while ago." Derek rolled his eyes, because it figured. Clearing his throat, Stiles, louder, said, "Hey, Dad, Melissa, um. Derek and I have something we want to tell you."

Derek gave Stiles' hand a squeeze and hoped they were okay with the relationship news, because, otherwise, it might make the whole 'moving in together' conversation slightly more difficult. It didn't matter, though, because they'd make it work together.

The end.


End file.
